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Migration and poverty in big cities

Multidimensional poverty is a well-used concept in identifying multiple types of deprivation, including health, education, and living standards. In Vietnam, migrants flocking to big cities, with dreams of making a better life for themselves and their family, are also vulnerable to multidimensional poverty. Migrant workers are usually not registered when they move to big cities; therefore it is very difficult to gather information on their poor household statuses. This, in turn, limits their access to public services and support policies, such as social securities and health insurance. Around 11 percent of city-dwellers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are in poor living conditions, but there has been no official survey on migrant workers living in poverty. It is vital that local authorities come up with multidimensional approaches to fully eradicate poverty and alleviate the overall living standards of society as a whole. –VNA